REAL LIFE MEETS REEL LIFE - 250 SLUM KIDS WATCH SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE AND GIVE A BIG THUMBS UP TO THE OSCAR NOMINATED MOVIE

February 20, 2009: Atlanta - (PRWEB) - Robin Raina Foundation (RRF) announced today that it recently organized a special screening of the Oscar nominated movie "Slumdog Millionaire" at a multiplex theatre in Noida, India for 250 children from the slums of Delhi. More than 100 media folks along with the RRF Founder Robin Raina in presence also attended the exclusive screening.

The screening, the first of its kind, where real life slum children got to judge the reel depiction of slum children’s real lives – by Director Danny Boyle, caught the attention of the national electronic and print media in India. With a number of top national television channels like NDTV, India Alive, CNN-IBN, Sahara, Aaj Tak etc. running live feeds, the RRF slum kids were asked to pass their judgment on the film. The overwhelming response by the slum kids was a big thumbs up to the movie.

The children felt that the slum depiction was rather realistic and the movie was rather enjoyable for them. All the kids conveyed that the movie managed to inspire them to never give up, as Jamaal the main actor in the movie, rises from the slums against all odds and manages to win the big millionaire jackpot.

On being asked by the media whether the movie presents India in bad light, RRF Founder Robin Raina said, “I am not sure what is there to be embarrassed about? This is the reality of India – slums are a big part of India. If it is embarrassing for any Indian, then I would suggest that they something about it and change things by contributing to the education, shelter and healthcare needs of the slum dwellers in the country.”

Robin added, “Delhi government is spending $10 billion to get Delhi ready for the Commonwealth Games in 2010. As a part of their effort to cleanse Delhi and show off to the visitors, the slum dwellers are being uprooted and removed from the confines of the city and being thrown into areas like Bawana, with little care for their health, employment or kids education. If you keep throwing dust under the carpet to show off to your guests, it can only result in the carpet getting spoilt ultimately.”

In their bid to cleanse Delhi and get ready for the Commonwealth Games in 2010, the Delhi Government in the year 2003 moved thousands of slum dweller families from the banks of river Yamuna to the barren land of Bawana district, on the outskirts of Delhi. Today Bawana has close to 30,000 families staying in inhuman conditions in grass huts. The area has little means of employment, education and healthcare. In the year 2004, the Robin Raina Foundation decided to set up base inside the slums of Bawana.

To make a difference in the lives of these slum dwellers, the Robin Raina Foundation is presently building 6000 concrete homes free of cost, for the slum dwellers of Bawana, Delhi - the largest slum charity project undertaken by any organization in India, without government help. Each of these homes is 4 sided brick and has a concrete roof done exactly the way as any other middle class house in Delhi would have been built. Each home is built on a solid brick foundation of 4 feet. The home has two rooms, four power points, two fans and an exhaust fan. The homes look aesthetically nice from outside having been painted in two colors – blue and light brown alternately, to give individuality to each home. Each home carries a nice granite nameplate outside the home. That is a big deal for the slum homeowners as till now they did not necessarily have an address. Each of these homes today has taken a legal electric connection in their home.

Today the foundation has emerged as the premier charity addressing the conditions in Bawana through many of its initiatives there -

• A $15 million project to build 6000 concrete homes for the slum dwellers of Bawana
• A school that has provided education, breakfast, lunch, clothes, healthcare, picnics, toys, extra-curricular activities to the children of more than 2000 families in Bawana
• A vocational training institute for women in Bawana
• A Self Help Group of women that has empowered thousands of women in the area.
• Wheel chairs for handicapped kids in the area
• Financial help and medical care on an as needed basis
• Emergency relief in times of fires that happen rather regularly.

At the occasion, Robin also released an appeal to all well-meaning people around the world to donate to the cause of building these homes at a cost of $1600 per home. Robin also issued an appeal to the general public around the world, to donate generously to the building efforts.

All donations (100% tax-exempt) payable to “Robin Raina Foundation” should be sent to:
Robin Raina Foundation – A $15 million Dream,
510 Covington Cove
Alpharetta, GA 30022

About the Robin Raina Foundation
A 501(c) charity, Raina foundation has been setup to raise funds for work to be carried out to empower under-privileged children and their parents, who need help around the world. The foundation has undertaken India’s largest private charity initiative to build 6000 free homes for the slum dwellers of Delhi. The foundation's focus is to make a difference in the lives of children - who are handicapped, blind, mentally challenged, sick or in need of urgent medical help and underprivileged kids who need education. All donations to the foundation are 100% tax-exempt.

RRF Contact: Sanjay Supehia, (678) 517-8688, ssupehia@rainafoundation.com